Standing 11 inches tall and hailing from San Diego County, California, the “Steamboat” tourmaline is one of the greatest examples of the October birthstone you may ever see.

The specimen’s two parallel crystals (which look like steamboat stacks) display a range of vibrant colors that start at vivid reddish-pink at the bottom and transition to a bright bluish-green at the top. The tourmaline crystals rise out of a base of Cleavelandite, which is perched atop a large quartz crystal (not shown).

Frank Barlow Schuyler is credited with discovering the fascinating formation at the Tourmaline King Mine in 1907. Three years earlier, Schuyler and a partner, D.G. Harrington, quite literally stumbled upon an enormous pocket of tourmaline crystals while searching for pegmatite in the Pala Chief Mountains.

Schuyler soon discovered that the tourmaline-rich pocket extended 30 feet in length and 10 feet wide, a single zone that would yield about eight tons of beautiful pink tourmaline. Schuyler would eventually sell most of the bounty to the Imperial Chinese government for $187.50 per pound — a tidy sum in those days.

By 1915, Schuyler was still riding the wave of his tourmaline-based good fortune. At the Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco, the owner of the Tourmaline King Mine marketed his gems with the slogan, “Wear a tourmaline for luck.” See his calling card, above.

The “Steamboat” tourmaline was later purchased by master engineer Washington A. Roebling, who included it in his collection of 16,000 mineral specimens. Roebling was most famous for designing the Brooklyn Bridge.

Roebling’s son, John, donated the “Steamboat” to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is has been on permanent display at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, which is part of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

Tourmaline shares the honor of being October’s Official Birthstone with opal.

Thanks to a jeweler on the tiny island of Gozo, a British tabloid got all the clues it needed to break the story Monday of Angelina Jolie’s very special, $4 million wedding gift to Brad Pitt.

The Mirror reported that the jeweler was asked by a friend of the supercouple to inscribe the back of a rare 1952 Patek Philippe platinum chronometer with the phrase, “To Roly from Nessa." These just happen to be the names of the characters Pitt and Jolie play in their new movie, By the Sea. And, yes, they’re currently filming on the picturesque island of Gozo, just off the coast of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea.

“I did inscribe the watch. It was for Brad, and it was a rare one," George Farrugia of Dolindo Jewellers told The Mirror. "It was very valuable."

Farrugia’s assessment of “very valuable” may be just a bit of an understatement.

Back in November of 2012, a platinum 1952 Patek Philippe J.B. Champion Platinum Observatory Chronometer with a diamond-set dial was the top lot in a Christie’s Geneva auction, fetching a staggering $3.99 million.

Jolie’s wedding gift to Pitt is believed to be that watch.

Faced with the challenge of inscribing a $4 million watch, Farrugia was hardly flustered.

“I wasn’t nervous about the inscription because I knew I could do the work perfectly,” he told The Mirror.

Pitt and Jolie wed in France last month after nine years of dating. The Hollywood couple, sometimes known by the combined name, “Brangelina,” is said to have a combined wealth of $400 million.

The platinum watch revelation has put the international spotlight on Gozo, an island that is part of Malta. It has a population of 37,000 and its residents are called Gozitans. Gozo is a five-hour ferry ride from Sicily.

(Image top of page: Publicity photo from the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith.)

Comic actor Eddie Murphy is America’s fourth top-grossing movie star, with worldwide box office sales of $6.8 billion. But did you know that he also came thisclose to topping the Billboard music charts in 1985 with his hit song, “Party All the Time”?

The disco-era ditty he penned with Rick James is about a heartbroken lover who wonders why his girlfriend likes to party without him even though he lavishes her with expensive gifts, including diamond rings. He sings, “I buy you champagne and roses and diamonds on your finger (Diamonds on your finger) / Still you hang out all night / What am I to do?”

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun — and often nostalgic — songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title.

Coming off a successful run on TV’s Saturday Night Live and a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Axel Foley in the movie Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy found himself in an exciting, but strange, new venue — James’ music recording studio in Buffalo, N.Y. Besides co-writing “Party All the Time,” the famed “Super Freak” artist produced and arranged the song, provided backup vocals and even appeared in the music video.

The catchy hook, "My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time," proved irresistible to the masses and the song quickly ascended to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It could have been #1, but failed to nudge Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” out of that spot.

Now, nearly 30 years after its release, “Party All the Time” is trying to find its rightful place in music history. While VH-1, Blender and AOL Radio ranked it on their lists of the “Worst Songs Ever,” FOX TV’s Glee featured Gwyneth Paltrow (as Holly Holliday) singing “Party All the Time” in a March 2014 episode.

Please check out the music video of Murphy performing “Party All the Time.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

"Party All the Time"
Written by Rick James and Eddie Murphy. Performed by Eddie Murphy.

Girl
I can't understand it why you want to hurt me
After all the things I've done for you.
I buy you champagne and roses and diamonds on your finger -
Diamonds on your finger -
Still you hang out all night
what am I to do?

My girl wants to party all the time

Party all the time
party all the time.
My girl wants to party all the time
party all the time.

She parties all the time party all the time
She likes to party all the time party all the time
Party all the time she likes to party all the time
Party all the time.

Girl
I've seen you in clubs just hanging out and dancing.
You give your number to every man you see.
You never come home at night because you're out romancing
I wish you bring some of your love home to me.

But my girl wants to party all the time
My girl wants to party all the time

Party
Party
party she likes to party all the time.
She likes to party all the time
She lets her hair down
she lets her body down,
She lets her body
She lets her body down.
Party all the time do you want to get any party
Yeah.
Party all the time party all the time.

Two breathtaking jewels — an 8.62-carat “Graff Ruby” and a 27.54-carat Kashmir sapphire — will headline Sotheby’s landmark single-owner sale of treasures from the collection of Greek financier and eminent connoisseur Dimitri Mavrommatis.

The magnificent collection of 16 items, which also includes white and colored diamonds, Colombian emeralds and unique pieces by celebrated jeweler, JAR, is expected to yield $20 million at the auction house’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on November 12.

“This outstanding collection… is a testament to Dimitri Mavrommatis’ discerning eye and impeccable taste,” noted David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry Division for Europe and the Middle East. “[This sale] presents a rare opportunity to acquire gems and jewels of exceptional quality."

Nearly half of the anticipated $20 million in sales could come from the “Graff Ruby” ring, whose exquisite cushion-cut center stone exhibits the highly coveted and rare red hue known at “pigeon’s blood.” The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) noted that the stone displays “outstanding purity” and “superb brilliance.” The ring carries an estimate of $6.8 million to $9 million.

Also getting top billing is a sapphire-and-diamond ring highlighted by a very special sapphire. Extraordinarily rare due to its 20-plus-carat size and saturated velvety blue color, the 27.54-carat sapphire is certified to be of Kashmir origin. The ring is expected to fetch $3 million to $6 million.

A pair of JAR earrings by the famously reclusive and inventive Paris-based designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal also will be on the auction block. The circular earrings feature thin ribbons of white diamonds over a ground of pink pavé-set sapphires. One earring is punctuated in the center by a large white diamond and the other by a equal size ruby. The pair is expected to yield $400,000 to $700,000.

According to businessinsider.com, Mavrommatis is well known for his extensive collection of postwar and modern art. In June 2011, he paid approximately $28 million for one of Pablo Picasso's famous paintings of his lover, Dora Maar.

One Direction’s handsome heartthrob Harry Styles quite literally stopped the show in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome last Wednesday night to assist a young man with a very memorable marriage proposal.

"I have a friend in the audience now," the 20-year-old Styles told his fans in the packed arena. "He's called Bradley. There he is. Bradley, would you like to bring your girlfriend up this way?"

At that moment the crowd buzzed with anticipation as the Jumbotron focused in on 28-year-old Bradley Chisenhall and his girlfriend, Christine Kozlowski, a avid One Direction fan who was celebrating her 26th birthday.

Forgoing Styles’ invitation to bring his girlfriend on stage, Chisenhall pivoted right where he was standing, dropped to one knee and pulled a diamond ring out of his pocket. His astonished girlfriend, a former Miss Mississippi, accepted Chisenhall’s proposal and jumped into his arms.

“She said yes!” Styles reported from the stage as thousands of admiring fans screamed with delight, half wishing they were in Kozlowski’s shoes.

Thousands of smartphones captured the moment from every angle, and within seconds, the Twittersphere blew up with the news and pics of the “1D proposal.”

"If you'd waited, I was gonna get you up on stage," Styles told the couple. "I was very nervous today. I didn't want to mess it up."

Not only did the couple enjoy an epic marriage proposal, but the One Direction singer asked to meet with Chisenhall and Kozlowski after the show on the band’s tour bus to congratulate them and wish them luck.

Kozlowski, who won the title of Miss Mississippi in 2008 and now works as a pageant coach, singer and actress, was still pinching herself the day after the event. On Twitter, she posted, “Just woke up. That was real. #1DProposal #luckiestgirlever #blessed #myprincecharming.”

On Instagram, she posted a photo of her new engagement ring with the caption, “My first ring selfie! Still in much disbelief and shock but so incredibly grateful for what is happening in my life.”

Chisenhall, a singer and songwriter whose stage name is Bradley Mitchell, worked very hard to make his fiancée’s dreams come true. On September 25, he created a new Twitter account (so his girlfriend would be less likely to see the correspondence) and sent a message to all five band members requesting assistance with his proposal.

“Help me propose to my girlfriend tomorrow night at the show,” he wrote.

He also sought the help of One Direction fans, asking them to tweet their support to #1Dproposal. At least 1,200 fans did just that.

But, Chisenhall revealed on Facebook that when he reached out to Styles’ mom, the pieces started to come together. “[Styles] contacted me soon after to plan it out," he wrote.

The considerate and kind-hearted Styles also helped the couple get home safely after learning about some problems they were having with their car. On Facebook, Chisenhall wrote, “We had some car troubles and Harry made sure we made it home OK. Awesome dude."

The One Direction proposal story caught the attention of Good Morning America, E! News and Inside Edition, and the 40-second YouTube video documenting the event has gone viral, with more than 440,000 views. Check it out here…

Sunday’s golden sunset viewed from a hot air balloon high above Southern California served as the picturesque backdrop for Eric Barretto’s romantic marriage proposal to his girlfriend, Ashley King.

But just after Barretto got down on one knee to pop the question and King happily accepted a beautiful diamond ring, the winds changed direction, forcing the hot air balloon dangerously westward toward the Pacific Ocean.

Adding to an increasingly terrifying situation was the fact that the hot air balloon was spinning and the pilot was having a hard time keeping it aloft. At 6:30 p.m., residents of the beach community of Cardiff, about 24 miles north of San Diego, reported that a hot air balloon was drifting dangerously low over their coastal homes.

Amateur videos show the hot air balloon losing altitude about 300 yards off the coast, dipping its basket into the surf, and then popping up again.

"We were just over water the whole time and we just couldn't get back toward the land area," Barretto told local ABC-TV affiliate 10News.

Recognizing the real possibility of an emergency water landing, six lifeguards and dozens of paddle boarders headed toward the balloon to lend assistance.

"I was scared,” King told 10News. “I was just yelling for help.”

With the hot air balloon hovering just above the surf, one video captured the moment Barretto launched himself out of the water-logged basket and into the ocean.

Eventually, Barretto, his fiancée and the balloon's pilot were all able to swim to a rescue boat and be taken to safety. No one was injured.

The paddle-boarders worked together to grab the balloon’s messenger line and tow it to shore.

When asked by 10News if she’d ever go on another hot air balloon ride, King said, "No, I don't plan on it."

Despite the near tragedy, the young couple came away from their experience with new-found celebrity status and a tall tale their grandkids one day might find very hard to swallow.

A fancy vivid purple-pink diamond displaying the most beautiful and intense shades of pink that the auction world has ever seen surpassed all expectations at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on Tuesday, as it pulled down a record price of $17.8 million.

It earned the highest price ever paid at auction for a vivid pink diamond and outperformed the previous record holder by more than $7 million.

At least seven buyers competed for the internally flawless 8.41-carat pear-shaped stone, which had a pre-sale estimate between $12.8 million and $15.4 million, or approximately $1.83 million per carat.

“It was tremendous,” said Quek Chin Yeow, the chairman of Sotheby’s international jewelry business in Asia. “When they started bidding, they were quite enthusiastic, and we had at least six, seven bidders on the pink. And that was quite a big thrill.”

In the months leading up to the sale, Yeow had described the featured gem as “the most desirable pink diamond to appear at auction in recent years.”

When the hammer went down, the selling price of $17.8 million was more than 15% above the high estimate and translated to $2.11 million per carat, just missing the per-carat record of $2.15 million achieved by “The Vivid Pink Diamond,” a 5-carat stone sold by Christie’s Hong Kong in 2009 for $10.7 million.

The 8.41-carat record-breaker — about the size of a thumbnail — was cut in New York City from a De Beers-mined rough diamond weighing 19.54 carats.

The record for the highest price ever paid for any jewel at auction is held by the 24.67-carat Graff Pink, which sold in 2010 for $46.2 million ($1.86 million per carat).

A 14.82-carat fancy vivid orange diamond that was sold by Christie's last year for $35.5 million, or $2.4 million per carat, holds the record for the highest price per carat achieved by any gem at auction.

Somewhat overshadowed by Sotheby’s pink diamond headliner was a beautiful blue 17.16-carat Kashmir sapphire that also set a per-carat record when it fetched $4.06 million, or $236,404 per carat. The step-cut gemstone broke the per-carat mark for blue sapphires set this past April by a 28.18-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring. That sapphire had sold for $180,731 per carat.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we bring you Train's frontman Pat Monahan singing about falling head over heals for an “angel in blue jeans” in the lead single from the group's new album, Bulletproof Picasso.

Sadly, the girl leaves Monahan broken-hearted, spawning these memorable lyrics: “Like a river made of silver / Everyone came running to the scene / I was shot down in cold blood / By an angel in blue jeans.”

Written by Monahan and the Norwegian songwriting team of Espen Lind and Amund Bjørklund, “Angel in Blue Jeans” has a hard-driving, anthem-like quality that’s reminiscent of the soundtrack of 1966 Spaghetti Western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Playing up the Western theme, Monahan and his band picked Machete’s tough-guy character actor Danny Trejo to star in the “Angel in Blue Jeans” music video, which takes place in a dusty outpost in the Mojave Desert. In a neat role swap, Trejo plays the hero while Monahan and his bandmates play the villains.

In the end, Trejo — not Monahan — gets to be reunited with his “angel in blue jeans,” played by Hannah Simone.

Monahan told Entertainment Tonight (ET) that he enjoyed being the bad guy. He also poked fun at Trejo, who, during the filming, had trouble lip-syncing the song on which Monahan performs the actual lead vocals. Apparently, Trejo had to listen to the track about 50 times before he could lip-sync the words properly.

“Angel in Blue Jeans” hit the airwaves in June 2014 as the lead single from Train’s seventh album, Bulletproof Picasso, which was released on September 16, 2014. The song peaked at #8 on Billboard’s U.S. Adult Top 40 list and charted in seven countries.

The Grammy-award-winning band, which is celebrating its 20th year together, has sold more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide.

We invite you to take your pick of two music videos below. The first is the official version of "Angel In Blue Jeans" starring Trejo. The second is Train’s performance of the song on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

"Angel in Blue Jeans"
Written by Pat Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. Performed by Train.

And though I never got her name
Or time to find out anything
I loved her just the same
And though I rode a different road
And sang a different song
I'll love her till my last breath’s gone
Like a river made of silver
Everyone came running to the scene
I was shot down in cold blood
By an angel in blue jeans

Whoa oh oh oh oh oh

Late that night she got away
I chased her to the turnpike
Then lost her where the music never plays
And though I rolled upon the stones and fell into the water
I'll love her till my judgment day
Like a sunrise made of white lies
Everything was nothing as it seems
I was shot down in cold blood
By an angel in blue jeans

Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh

I hear voices calling all around
I keep falling down
I think my heart could pound right out of me
I see a million different ways
To never leave this maze alive

I woke up in somebody's arms
Strange and so familiar
Where nothing could go wrong
Barely alive or nearly dead
Somehow awake in my own bed
And there you are
Like a highway headed my way
Life is but a dream
I was shot down by your love
My angel in blue jeans

Marking their second Stanley Cup title in three years, the Los Angeles Kings clearly took their championship rings to the next level with a larger-than-life design featuring 136 round diamonds, 32 more than in 2012. Pavé-set black spinel replaces black enamel in the representation of the Kings' shield logo.

The shield-shaped 2014 Stanley Cup rings are larger and much flashier than the 2012 version, measuring a gaudy 32mm wide. The shield is broader than a single finger and actually overlaps the middle finger and pinky.

Whereas the 2012 design featured a diamond-outlined Stanley Cup and small Kings’ logo in the middle set against a ground of black enamel, the 2014 rings feature a much larger, more dazzling diamond-encrusted LA Kings’ logo against a ground of pavé-set black spinel. The shield-shaped logo is rimmed with two rows of accent diamonds and one row of black spinel.

The new bling was presented to the team and its management during a private dinner ceremony in Los Angeles last week.

Before the team had officially revealed the number of diamonds in the new design, a writer for Yahoo Sports joked, “No word on how many diamonds this second L.A. Kings championship ring has, although initial estimates are somewhere around ‘all of them.’”

The 2014 ring also features new imagery of the Stanley Cup being hoisted overhead and decorative filigree artwork.

The face of the ring is shaped like the L.A. Kings' shield. On the bezels above and below the shield in black enamel is the phrase, “STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS."

On the left shank of the ring is the player’s last name, LA KINGS, jersey number and the beaming lights of the Staple Center, where the team plays its home games.

The opposite shank shows the year 2014, a rendering of the Stanley Cup and the team’s 16-10 record in the playoffs.

The inside of the ring is engraved with a list of the series records for the Kings’ memorable run to the Stanley Cup, including 4-3 wins over San Jose, Anaheim, Chicago and a 3-1 series win over New York in the finals.

Players also got their choice of a custom inscription on the thin part of the band that's closest to the palm and normally out of view. Some players had their Facebook hashtags immortalized on the rings.

The team got to raise their 2013-2014 championship banner to the rafters of the Staples Center during an emotional presentation before their home opener last week.

Both the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup rings were designed and created by Tiffany & Co. The retailer offers a sterling silver commemorative version to the public.

When BuzzFeed tells its readers that your lip-dub marriage proposal video is the best thing they will see on the Internet today you know you hit it out of the park.

That's exactly what happened on Saturday as the masterfully choreographed six-minute video of Bret Piere's proposal to Jovan Gonzalez started to go viral on YouTube. Posted on Friday, the video already has been viewed more than 1.3 million times.

We love epic lip-dub marriage proposals and this one ranks right at the top. Of course, Piere couldn't have done it alone. He received a giant assist from the makers of NBC's brand new series, Marry Me, who created a Hollywood-quality production number that included a huge cast of characters, including 40 dancers, family members and close friends lip-syncing to "Geronimo" by the Aussie group Sheppard.

To help promote the premiere of Marry Me, which airs tonight (Tuesday) at 9/8c, NBC's digital team thought it would be a great idea to assist a young couple with an epic and heartwarming marriage proposal. The new sitcom deals with the trials and tribulations connected to the pending engagement of actors Ken Marino and Casey Wilson.

The viral video starts off with Gonzalez sitting down for lunch with a friend at an outdoor café in Los Angeles. Then the music starts and the shocked young woman is taken on a wild ride — both literally and figuratively — that includes surprise appearances by her best friend, mother, stepfather, siblings, nieces, nephews and more.

These cameos were really special because Gonzalez had moved to L.A. from Chicago months earlier and had not seen any of her loved ones since she left. Piere had specially arranged for them to fly to the West Coast to be part of the proposal.

Gonzalez is carried on a bench and then escorted through the blocked-off streets that look like a Hollywood movie set. At every turn she's introduced to a new group of characters, from ballerinas to football players.

Finally, her prince charming makes his appearance dressed up in a flight suit reminiscent of Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Piere joins the dancers and shows some slick moves of his own before disappearing from the scene. When he returns a few seconds later, he's wearing a formal tuxedo and carrying a diamond ring.

The music stops and Piere goes down on one knee to deliver his touching proposal: "Every bone in my body, every breath in my lungs wants to spend the rest of my life with you. It would be my honor if you'd marry me. Will you marry me, Jovan?”

Amidst the cheers from her family and friends, she says, "Yes.”

The video presentation utilizes a clever picture-in-a-picture technique that allows the viewer to see what Gonzalez is viewing, as well as her reactions.

The couple was extremely appreciative of the assistance offered by NBC's team. "I just really want to thank NBC's Marry Me for making this happen," said Piere. "I wanted her to remember this for the rest of her life and now [that] we had that chance and opportunity, and I'm so grateful."

Pop star Demi Lovato stunned her fans — and longtime beau Wilmer Valderrama, no doubt — when she accepted an on-stage marriage proposal Saturday night from a handsome young suitor named Grant Feikert.

Women in the audience swooned as Feikert went down on one knee and offered his proposal with just a bit of prompting: "Demi, will you marry me?"

Then he slipped an impressive green/yellow ring on her finger and Lovato exclaimed, “I will.”

Oh, did we mention, Mr. Feikert is just five years old and the betrothal jewelry was a Ring Pop (watermelon flavor, we’re guessing).

In what may be the cutest marriage proposal you’ll ever see, Lovato calls the sweet-faced cutie pie on stage after the 22-year-old singer got word that there was a young man in the audience holding a familiar poster that read, “Demi, I have a ring for you.” Young Grant had been to three previous concerts, and his sign has been seen in a number of Lovato concert clips circulating the Internet.

Once on stage, the precious little boy, wearing bright red pants and a denim jacket, tells Lovato that his name is Grant and that he’s four years old. But, then he quickly corrects himself. “I’m five,” he says.

“Oh you’re 45,” jokes Lovato. “You’re of age.”

She tells the beaming child that he’s the cutest little boy ever and then asks him about the ring mentioned on his poster. Little Grant had forgotten to bring the ring onstage, but a member of the Lovato’s video crew was able to retrieve the ring from Grant’s mom, who was in the audience.

Lovato sweetly shows him on the proper technique of going down on one knee to propose and then he slips the ring on her finger.

With the proposal accepted, Lovato asks Grant if she could have a kiss. The little boy pecks her on the cheek and the crowd joins in a single heartfelt, “Awwww.”

"I love you so much and you are so sweet,” Lovato says. “I can't wait to see you at the wedding."

With Grant back in his seat, Lovato takes a moment to review the monumental event.

"Well, guys, we have big news tonight,” she says. “I'm engaged... to a five year old. It's OK, my heart is melting."

Then she sits at her piano and takes a good look at her new bling. “People [will say], ‘Oh, my God, let me see it.’ And I’ll be like, ‘It’s green.’”

“Then they’ll be like, ‘Oh, my God. How did he do it?’”

“[And I’ll say,] ‘On stage, at my concert… He even got down on one knee.’”

Continuing to admire the ring, she says, “I might wear this for the rest of the show.”

On Sunday, Lovato posted the proposal picture to her Instagram account with the following caption: "Oh and by the way guys...... I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Grant ... #CUTESTEVER #demiworldtour"

"It was so amazing to see him on stage with her," Grant’s mom Kelly Feikert told E! News. “I have been singing one of her songs to Grant as a lullaby since he was born! He loves Demi and has seen her four times in concert! So, it was surreal and amazing seeing him up there with someone we admire so much! We are such fans of her, even more so now!"

Check out the YouTube video of little Grant’s proposal. Lovato's starts to give the backstory at the 45-second mark.

A metal-detector enthusiast in southwest Scotland has discovered a hoard of gold and silver Viking artifacts dating back 1,000 years.

Among the 100 items unearthed in a Dumfriesshire field by 47-year-old retired businessman Derek McLennan are a solid silver medieval cross, a mysterious silver alloy vessel and a delicate gold bird pin that alone could be worth more than $100,000.

The find, which dates back to the 9th or 10th century AD, is being hailed as one of the largest and most spectacular Viking treasure hoards ever seen.

Other precious items found by McLennan include silver ingots, armbands, brooches and rings. The mysterious sealed silver alloy vessel, which seems to be wrapped in a cloth sack, is expected to contain yet more treasures. The vessel will be X-rayed by archaeologists before the lid is removed.

"It's clear that these artifacts are of great value in themselves,” Fiona Hyslop, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, told International Business Times, “but their greatest value will be in what they can contribute to our understanding of life in early medieval Scotland, and what they tell us about the interaction between the different peoples in these islands at that time.”

The Vikings, who were of Scandinavian origin, made frequent raids on Britain from the 8th to the 11th centuries. Their spoils were commonly buried for safekeeping.

The Treasure Trove Unit, a Scottish government agency that ensures that significant objects from Scotland's past are preserved in museums for the public’s benefit, praised McLennan for his “responsible actions” in disclosing the discovery. Scottish law provide for rewards equal to the market value of the antiquities discovered. In this case, both McLennan and the local parish will benefit financially, although the actual numbers have not been released.

McLennan told BBC News that, at first, he didn’t think much of his initial find. “I thought it was a silver spoon,” he said. “Then I turned it over and wiped my thumb across it and I saw the Saltire-type of design. I knew instantly it was Viking.”

McLennan could hardly contain his excitement: "Then my senses exploded,” he said. “I went into shock, endorphins flooded my system, and away I went stumbling towards my colleagues waving it in the air."

The Viking hoard is hardly McLennan’s first newsworthy discovery. In 2013, he unearthed nearly 300 medieval coins in an area not very far from the Viking find.

The “Secrets” special lyrics video includes a cute, hand-drawn animation of the cat earrings, “Meow.”

“Secrets,” which is currently #14 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, is the lead single from Lambert’s debut full-length album, Heart on My Sleeve. The album was released this past Tuesday.

Lambert told Glamaholic.com that “Secrets” was the result of a late-night writing session with the song’s co-producers Eric Rosse and Benny Cassette, and multi-platinum hitmaker MoZella.

"Secrets might be the first fun song I've ever written,” she said. "Like a few songs on the album, [Secrets] was a product of an arsenal of talented writers in one room. I've never co-written before, and this song really showed me what can happen when you are open to sharing your creative space with other people. We wrote this song in one super-fun night.”

She added that “Secrets” is about loving yourself unabashedly. "I felt like there were a lot of songs coming out about self-empowerment and challenging beauty standards,” she said, “and I wanted to write a song along those same lines, but in my voice."

"I believe vulnerability is what will save the world. I wanted to point the lens at myself in hopes of inspiring others to do the same."

The Seattle-based Lambert scored two nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards this past January. She was nominated for Song of the Year (“Same Love”) and Album of the Year (The Heist).

Please check out Lambert’s official “Secrets” video (below) It’s been viewed more than 4.2 million times. We’ve also included the lyrics if you’d like to sing along.

I've got bi-polar disorder
My shit's not in order
I'm overweight
I'm always late
I've got too many things to say
I rock mom jeans, cat earrings
Extrapolate my feelings
My family is dysfunctional
But we have a good time killing each other

[Pre-Chorus:]
They tell us from the time we're young
To hide the things that we don't like about ourselves
Inside ourselves
I know I'm not the only one who spent so long attempting to be someone else
Well I'm over it

[Chorus:]
I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are (secrets are)
I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are (secrets are)
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what

I can't think straight, I'm so gay
Sometimes I cry a whole day
I care a lot, use an analog clock
And never know when to stop
And I'm passive, aggressive
I'm scared of the dark and the dentist
I love my butt and won't shut up
And I never really grew up

They tell us from the time we're young
To hide the things that we don't like about ourselves
Inside ourselves
I know I'm not the only one who spent so long attempting to be someone else
Well I'm over it

I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are (secrets are)
I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are (secrets are)
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what

I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are (secrets are)
I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are (secrets are)
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what

(I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are)
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what
So-o-o-o-o what

Disney alum and High School Musical star Corbin Bleu presented his girlfriend, Sasha Clements, with a glass slipper containing a classically beautiful solitaire diamond engagement ring in the place “Where Dreams Come True” — Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

To add even more romantic symbolism to Wednesday’s momentous event, the 25-year-old actor/singer chose to propose right in front of Cinderella’s Castle (sigh).

Of course, Clements said, “Yes,” and the couple promptly turned to Instagram to report the good news. In a photo posted on Thursday to each of their accounts, Clements models her new ring with the majestic castle in the background. We've added the closeup inset in the photo, below.

His Instagram caption read: “She said yes!”

Her caption read: “I love you Corbin.”

The size of the diamond was not officially revealed, but we’re guessing that it’s 2-plus carats. The round brilliant solitaire has a four-prong setting and features pavé-set diamonds on a delicate white-metal band. The precious metal is likely 18-karat white gold or platinum.

"I'm very excited to begin this next chapter of my life with the woman who stole my heart," Bleu told People magazine.

Two days after the engagement, Clements was back on Instagram documenting her Disney adventure. Instagram followers got to see her flashing her ring at a wine tasting at the 2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

Bleu, who made his mark playing Chad Danforth in High School Music and its subsequent two sequels, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, has been dating the 24-year-old Clements since a random meeting in a Toronto grocery store in 2011. Clements is a Canadian-born actress, who now lives in Los Angeles.

The multitalented Bleu showcased his grace and agility when he made it to the finals of the 17th season of Dancing With the Stars in 2013. Clements recently appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movie, How to Build a Better Boy.

Two impressive diamonds — one weighing 101.36 carats and the other 81.38 carats — are set to go under the hammer tomorrow at Christie’s Important Jewels auction in New York City.

As Christie’s kicks off its fall season with 350 lots, the one with the highest pre-sale estimate is a platinum pendant necklace featuring a cushion-cut diamond weighing a staggering 101.36 carats.

Expected to fetch from $4.25 million to $6.25 million, the L-color, VS2-clarity diamond is suspended on a simple black silk cord with pavé-set terminals crafted in platinum. The Gemological Institute of America reports that the stone has excellent polish and symmetry.

Tomorrow’s co-headliner is an eye-popping pendant necklace highlighted by a near-flawless 81.38-carat diamond, which is the largest diamond dangling at the end of a detachable pendant.

The stone was given a K color grade and VVS1 clarity rating by the GIA. It also earned a supplemental letter from GIA stating the diamond has been determined to be Type IIa. The rare Type IIa rating means the diamond is chemically pure and displays an exceptional optical transparency.

The detachable pendant is set with three rectangular-cut diamonds weighing 81.38, 15.30 and 7.04 carats, respectively. Each is spaced by smaller round diamonds. The neckchain sparkles with an impressive array of 17 round diamonds — the largest weighing 15.46 carats — spaced by rectangular and square-cut stones. The diamonds are set in 18-karat white gold. The necklace carries a pre-sale estimate of $2.8 million to $3.5 million.

Christie’s International Jewelry department has been on a roll in 2014. The first half of the year saw eight new world auction records and jewelry sales of $362 million.

Christie’s New York Important Jewels event will be held at the company’s Rockefeller Plaza salesroom in the heart of the city.

The bracelet can even interact with your smartphone to analyze lifestyle activities through the calendar, locator and other data.

If Olive finds the user to be in a stressful situation, it not only nudges the user with gentle taps (haptic feedback) or LED lights, but also recommends simple de-stressing exercises and strategies to bring the body back into balance.

It can be synced with a smartphone or operated in standalone mode. In the photo at the top of this post, a smartphone displays Olive's monitoring of a user's heart rate and body temperature while offering a personalized "Good morning" greeting and giving an overall stress rating of "9.1 Stellar."

The bracelets come in a number of materials, colors, textures and styles, including a special Heirloom Edition in 18-karat gold. The standard version is expected to retail for $150. The Heirloom Edition sells for $1,000.

The Olive team, led by founder and CEO Hiro Ellis, designed the bracelet to be unobtrusive and beautiful, while having the ability to be dressed up or down to reflect the user’s personality or the occasion.

Olive is currently undergoing a crowdsourcing campaign on Indiegogo.com with the original aim of raising $100,000 before November 9. As of yesterday, the Olive team had already raised $108,749 from 741 funders. See the campaign here…

Olive comes with a standard USB charger, and there’s an optional upgrade to a Pedestal Charger that holds the bracelet upright.

Olive, which is expected to go into production in the summer of 2015, is just one in a wave of new products in the burgeoning wearable tech market.

• In February, we introduced you to the Cuff, a line of high-tech jewelry that could instantly alert your “protective circle” of a potential emergency while transmitting a map of your exact location.

• In June, we reviewed Ringly, a “smart” ring designed to blink or vibrate depending on whether you’re receiving a call, push notification or reminder.

• In August, we brought you the QBracelet, stylish wristwear that doubles as a back-up battery for your smartphone.

• And in September, we showed you the new Apple Watch that promises to manage your fitness, monitor your heartbeat, plan your diet, check your stocks, connect with social media, give you directions, unlock the door of your hotel room — and even tell you the time.

A smart phone deserves to be elevated to the level of haute couture because it has become such a visible and essential part of our lives, according to the CEO of Geneva-based luxury brand Savelli.

In an interview with CNN, Alessandro Savelli argued that, since the smart phone is with us all the time, in our hands, our pockets, next to us when we sleep, and because we touch it 100 times a day, the device should be treated like fine jewelry.

"Everyone has one,” he told CNN. “So we thought, ‘Why not elevate it to the sphere of luxury? What if we make it a beautiful object?’”

And a beautifully impressive fashion statement it is, with the company employing the same techniques and materials used in jewelry production to make the phones.

Diamond Insane showcases more than 70 baguette-cut diamonds set in 18-karat white gold. Savelli noted that the baguette diamonds had to be specially set to match the contour of Savelli’s signature curve called the “Line of Grace.” The price tag for the Insane model is 100,000 British pounds, or about $160,000.

The phones are powered by the Google Android operating system, feature an Ultra-Bombé “unscratchable” sapphire crystal screen and are adorned with exotic materials, such as ostrich, python and iguana leather.

The Diamond Night and Diamond Insane models have companions that feature either round or baguette emeralds. These models are appropriately called Emerald Night and Emerald Insane.

Emerald Night is trimmed in 18-karat rose gold and set with 400 brilliant-cut emeralds weighing about 3 carats.

In the first verse, Lorde sings, “I’m a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm / And the scars that mark my body, they’re silver and gold / My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones / It keeps my veins hot, the fires found a home in me.”

“Yellow Flicker Beat” is the lead single from the Lorde-curated soundtrack to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, which will hit theaters on November 21. Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence plays the film's heroine.

Lorde explained the inspiration behind “Yellow Flicker Beat” in an interview with radio station KROQ's Kevin and Bean. "I reread the books, and I just wanted to tap into everything that Katniss is feeling in that film."

“I felt like Katniss was like, 'OK, I'm taking names. I'm coming for blood. You don't do these types of things to my friends and family and get away with it.' I just wanted to make something kind of dark and haunting,” she said.

On her own Tumblr, Lorde wrote, “It's my attempt at getting inside her head. I hope you like it."

Apparently, a lot of people already do. The song released on September 29 and immediately zoomed to #17 on the Billboard U.S. Alternative Songs chart. This is the highest any female artist has debuted on the chart since 1995.

Just before the song’s release, Lorde teased “Yellow Flicker Beat” on her Instagram by posting this photo of her hand marked with hand-written lyrics from the song.

Scroll down to check out the video of Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

"Yellow Flicker Beat"
Written by Ella Yelich-O'Connor (Lorde) and Joel Little. Performed by Lorde.

I’m a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm.
And the scars that mark my body, they’re silver and gold,
My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones,
It keeps my veins hot, the fires found a home in me.
I move through town, I’m quiet like a fire,
And my necklace is of rope, I tie it and untie it.

And now people talk to me, but nothing ever hits home
People talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes.
I’m going in (ooh)

[Chorus:]
This is the start of how it all ever ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I’m speeding up and this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We're at the start, the colors disappear
I never watch the stars, there’s so much down here
So I just try to keep up with the red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

I dream all year, but they’re not the sweet kinds
And the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double time

And now people talk to me, I’m slipping out of reach now
People talk to me, and all their faces blur
But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison
And I’m locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me
I’m going in (ooh)

[Chorus]

And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat
Sparking up my heart
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat

A palm-sized, 6.07-pound gold nugget found at a depth of just 12 inches by a metal detector enthusiast in Northern California’s fabled Gold Rush Country was sold last week to an anonymous buyer for $400,000.

The massive nugget, which was originally thought to be an “old pipe” or a “big piece of trash” because of the unusually high reading and loud sound it generated on the metal detector, was unearthed in July in the foothills of Butte County on public land. The nugget has been dubbed the “Butte Nugget” and the lucky prospector has chosen to remain anonymous.

Interestingly, the well-worn nugget (front and back views seen above and below) was discovered in an area that was worked in the mid-1800s during the original Gold Rush. In fact, the largest gold nugget ever to emerge during the 19th century Gold Rush days was reportedly a 54-pound chunk unearthed in Butte County, Calif., in 1859.

Kagin’s Inc., a numismatic firm based in Tiburon, Calif., was given the exclusive rights to market and sell the Butte Nugget. Only one day after revealing the specimen to the wide-eyed attendees of the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show last Thursday, Kagin’s announced that the nugget had been sold to a “prominent San Francisco Bay Area collector” for approximately $400,000.

Kagin’s had estimated the sale price would be between $350,000 and $450,000. The precious metal value of the nugget is $119,554 at today’s spot gold price.

“Nuggets like this don’t come along every day,” said Kagin’s senior numismatist, David McCarthy. “I really didn’t believe that I would see a California nugget of this size unearthed during my lifetime.”

Despite its enormous size and weight, the Butte Nugget is believed to be the second-largest California nugget in existence today. In fact, it’s only about half the size of the Mojave Nugget, which was found near Randsburg, Calif., by prospector Ty Paulsen in 1977. That nugget, too, was located using a metal detector. The 156-ounce Mojave Nugget was subsequently donated to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

The largest gold nugget ever discovered was named “Welcome Stranger” and weighed an astounding 158.78 pounds. It was found at a depth of only one inch by Aussie prospectors in Victoria in 1869.

At 24 inches wide, the nugget was so large and so heavy that the gold scales available at the time couldn’t handle it. The miners decided to smash it into three pieces so the weight could be taken. Eventually, the world-record specimen was melted down into ingots and shipped to England.

We love to write about romantic marriage proposals, but today we take a close look at who gets the engagement ring when a relationship fails and the wedding never takes place. What does the law generally say and what recently happened on Long Island that tossed conventional wisdom to the wind?

Although there is no uniform law in the U.S. or Canada regarding the return of engagement rings after a breakup, the most important factor in a disputed case is who broke off the engagement. In general, an engagement ring is a “conditional gift” until the couple actually gets married. If he breaks off the engagement, she keeps the ring, and if she breaks off the engagement, she must return the ring.

But that logic was turned on its head last week when a Long Island judge said that Debbie Lopez of Valley Stream, N.Y., could keep the $10,200 diamond ring her boyfriend Joseph Robert Torres, of Yonkers, gave her four years ago even though she put the kibosh on the relationship. His proposal wasn't good enough.

Lopez, the mother of Torres’ six-year-old son, argued that Torres never actually proposed and gave her the ring as “a gift for being a great woman, a good mother of his child.”

Torres claimed that he proposed to Lopez at New York’s Rockefeller Center in 2010 and allowed their toddler son to hand her the ring.

Nassau County Judge Scott Fairgrieve sided with Lopez, ruling that Lopez was not bound by the law requiring women to return engagement rings because it was “given as a gift and not in contemplation of marriage.”

So what are the takeaways from this story?

Who gets to keep the ring is generally decided by who broke off the engagement.

Delivering a formal marriage proposal is the best way to ensure that the engagement ring is viewed by the courts as a “conditional gift” and not a simple gift.

Most courts have found that an engagement ring given on a holiday or birthday makes it a simple gift.

Courts generally say that once a simple gift is given, it cannot be taken back. Exceptions are sometimes considered in the case of family heirlooms.

Octogenarian Daisy Parker was devastated after losing her 50-year-old engagement ring — a sentimentally priceless peridot ring given to her by her late husband, Dell.

“I sat and had a good old cry,” Daisy told the Plymouth Herald. “It was as if the link I had with my husband was gone.”

Sixty-six years ago, when Dell proposed to Daisy after returning from duty in Britain's Royal Navy, he couldn’t afford an engagement ring. Still, Dell accepted his proposal and they were married in 1948. It wasn't until 16 years later — in 1964 — that Dell was finally able to give her the ring that she desired.

Daisy, who lives in Stoke, UK, wore the ring every day for 50 years, but then it went missing in August, about a month after her beloved Dell passed away.

She searched every nook and cranny of her home, but had no success. After two months of fruitless searching, she offered a £50 ($80) reward for anyone who could assist her in finding it.

And, this is where our hero enters the story.

A handsome Jack Russell pup named Russell and his owner were enjoying a cup of tea with Daisy at her home recently when the four-legged ball of energy started scrabbling around in the corner of Daisy's living room. He knocked over a plant, tore through a pile of records and kept sniffing.

“When we went over to sort it out, there was the ring,” Daisy told the Plymouth Herald.

Daisy insisted that she, her son and daughter-in-law had all turned that part of the house upside down in an effort to find the ring.

“I think we’ve got a little treasure hunter here,” she said.

Daisy made good on her reward offer. She gave £50 to Russell's owner and made a special request: “I said that he has to have steak every night.”

The spry 84-year-old now has her ring back and a neat story to share with her three children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

A gem-set tiger head finial that graced an Indian sultan’s throne more than 200 years ago is one of the 60 rare and spectacular bejeweled items on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection” opened on Tuesday and will run through January 25, 2015.

As the title of the exhibition reveals, the objects on display are from the private collection of Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Thani. They represent historical works spanning more than 300 years and provide a glimpse into the evolving styles of the jeweled arts in India from the Mughal period of the 17th century until the early 20th century.

One of the most fascinating items in the collection is the tiger head finial from the throne of Tipu Sultan (ca. 1790). The cabochon diamonds, rubies and emeralds of the elaborate finial are mounted in a traditional kundan setting, where the stones are encased into gold, rather than secured by prongs.

A second very rare piece is a jade dagger from the early 1600s that was owned by two emperors. The hilt was made for Jahangir and it was re-bladed for his son, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal. During the 1800s, the dagger was owned by Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse Code.

The piece shown above is an elaborate platinum aigrette (decorative pin) that has its origins in the artisan workshops of France. Highlighted by a large emerald — carved in India between 1850 and 1900 — and set with sapphires, diamonds and pearls, the piece was designed by Paul Iribe and executed in 1910 by Robert Linzeler. It is 3-5/8 inches tall (9 cm), 2-1/4 inches wide (5.6 cm) and 5/8 inches deep (1.5 cm).

The “Treasures from India” exhibition is housed within the Metropolitan Museum's Islamic art galleries, adjacent to the Museum's own collection of Mughal-period art.

"It is with great delight that we present to the public this selection of works representing several centuries of tradition and craftsmanship in the jeweled arts from India's Mughal workshops to the ateliers of Paris," said Thomas Campbell, director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you hit songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today’s featured song, “Trouble,” earned Pink a Grammy in 2004 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

In the song about how "trouble" follows Pink wherever she goes, the singer explains that her choice of fine jewelry can hardly mask her tough-girl persona.

In the first verse, she sings, “No attorneys / To plead my case / No orbits / To send me into outta space / And my fingers / Are bejeweled / With diamonds and gold / But that ain't gonna help me now.”

Co-written by Pink and Tim Armstrong, “Trouble” was the lead single from Pink’s third studio album, Try This, and peaked at #68 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2003. The song landed Pink a 2004 Grammy Award for her video performance of the song, where she rides into a one-horse town and promptly ignites a huge bar brawl.

Despite the song's modest chart performance, ”Trouble” has been featured in many popular films, including White Chicks (2004), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), as well as Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011).

Alecia Beth Moore, popularly known by her stage name Pink, has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and has earned three Grammy Awards and six MTV Video Music Awards. Billboard named her Woman of the Year in 2013 and VH1 ranked her number 10 on its list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

Please check out the video at the end of this post. It’s Pink performing “Trouble" during “The Truth About Love Tour” in 2013. That tour ran for nearly a year, included 142 shows and grossed an astounding $184 million.

The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

"Trouble"
Written by Tim Armstrong and Pink. Performed by Pink.

No attorneys
To plead my case
No orbits
To send me into outta space
And my fingers
Are bejeweled
With diamonds and gold
But that ain't gonna help me now

Craig Husar is the President and Chief Romance Officer at Lyle Husar Designs in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

According to Craig, it's important to remember that "jewelry is a symbol of your love" and true love comes in many forms. Here, it's found in a beautiful little box, covered in satin ribbons and trimmed in gold. Trust our romance experts to be your personal guides to the world of romantic gift giving.